


Your Choice

by NeurotropicAgentX



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: But Ultimately a Supportive Relationship, Dissonantly Sweet, Gen, Offscreen Canon-Typical Violence, Snoke Cares About Kylo, Snoke Ships Kylux, The Dark Side of the Force, Training, Twisted Values
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-07-09
Packaged: 2018-07-22 11:19:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7435317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeurotropicAgentX/pseuds/NeurotropicAgentX
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before he rose to power, Snoke learned about Sith philosophy and was displeased by what he discovered. The traditional bitter enmity between a master and apprentice seemed counterproductive. All this was hypothetical until the day he felt a powerful consciousness on the brink of ruin. Letting such a wellspring of strong emotion be consumed and destroyed by the dark side was unthinkable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Your Choice

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted from the TFA kinkmeme for [this](http://tfa-kink.dreamwidth.org/4613.html?thread=10410501#cmt10410501) prompt. I don’t think this will be canon, but it’s an intriguing idea that I wanted to play with. 
> 
> Obligatory shout out to my awesome editor for all her invaluable assistance.

He delved deeper into the holocron, dark side power twining through his body and connecting him to the ancient artefact. _No, tell me about the philosophy, the core principals,_ he thought, pushing his will behind the order. The gatekeeper of a long-dead Sith bowed in his mind’s eye and a new flood of information flowed through the link. He hissed as the data tried to overwhelm his senses with a tide of pain. He pushed back until a the river became a gradual trickle, _Rule of Two, stagnation and complacency._ More details filtered through. _Pain and fear and hate. Peace is a lie._ With a final effort of will and power he broke the connection his connection with the holocron. The techniques and forms of the Sith seemed useful, but the principals…

‘Well,’ Snoke murmured to himself, ‘that won’t do at all.’

///

Snoke was meditating the first time it happened. Even without the core of the Sith principals, the techniques were sound and his skill set had been augmented by internalising the teachings of different holocrons. His range was getting wider every day and soon it would be time to take a more direct hand in the actions of the First Order that he’d created. 

Snoke pulled his mantle of dark side power closer, extending his senses through the void. His power protected the outlines of his mind, preventing him from spiralling out into the abyss of the dark side and being consumed. A sudden crackle of harsh rage pierced the aether like a flame. Another mind screamed through the quiet darkness, close to ripping itself apart with the strength of its emotions. There was power there, but no focus.

Snoke narrowed his awareness toward the struggling mind and wrapped a layer of his own power around it, preventing it from shredding itself away and dissipating in the darkness. The other mind felt him and slammed up against the sheer surface of Snoke’s will. 

_Cease,_ Snoke commanded. He felt an upwelling of fury, but the second attack was too unfocused to cause him any damage. _Cease. You lack the strength to fight me and if I let you go you would be at the mercy of the void. Do you seek to let the dark side consume you utterly?_

The other mind was far too inexperienced to communicate directly, but Snoke felt the upwell of fear. That too was a useful emotion that had surprising depth in one so untrained. 

_Focus your will. Draw your emotions in tight and let them burn in your core,_ Snoke instructed.

The other presence still hummed with overwhelming emotion, but Snoke felt it make an effort to rein itself in. After a long moment the spreading presence contracted down into something more tightly controlled and brighter. It was a form that could more easily resist the seductive and lethal pull of the dark side. 

_Good. Shall I let go? You should learn to stand against the Force if you wish to use it._ The fear was there again, sudden and bitter against the surface of Snoke’s awareness. _It is your choice,_ Snoke said, _it must always be your choice_. 

A hesitation, and then a sense of acceptance from the mind. Snoke withdrew his power slowly, keeping close in case he needed to reinforce the barriers of that fragile, untrained mind. The globe of rage and fear wavered for a moment, but stabilised. Its outer barriers held firm against the encroaching power of the Force. 

_Impressive. You have not reached out so deep before and yet you are surviving it,_ Snoke surmised. There was a sense of affirmation. _You are strong in your emotions and in the Force. You will probably find your way back here, even if you don’t go looking. It is important that you know how to escape._

The sense of affirmation was stronger now and a deep feeling of determination rose as well. The seemingly infinite reserves of emotion staggered Snoke. Engaging with his emotions was a constant struggle. His species came from a barren, stagnant world where constant emotional flux was of little use. A lot of his power came from finesse rather than raw strength. It was humbling to sense something so vibrantly emotional.

The untrained mind wavered as it tried to pull itself free from the deep voids of the dark side. The struggle was palpable through the Force. For a moment its barriers started to disintegrate. Its panic flared, and oddly, so to did Snoke’s. He hastily wrapped his own power around the other mind again. _I’m here,_ he said. _Don’t flail, concentrate your will toward your goal as a single point. It is the same technique that lets me communicate to you clearly. Don’t reach wide, reach with a concentrated point of willpower_. The affirmation came slower this time, but the determination was even deeper. Snoke withdrew again and that alien point of awareness focused, pulling itself out from the depths of the Force.

 _Thank you,_ came an odd-sounding whisper of thought. 

Snoke’s expression would have betrayed his surprise if his psychic manifestation had a face down here. _Most impressive,_ he sent, half to himself and half for the other mind. Strength like that was something to protect and develop. Any other action would have been a betrayal of the will of the dark side. Snoke finished his meditation and drew his awareness back into his physical body. There was much to contemplate.

///

The scream reverberated so strongly through the dark side that Snoke felt it even while he was focused on the physical plane. He instantly recognised Ben’s Force signature and his uniquely powerful emotions. Snoke dismissed the First Order officer he was speaking with and cut the holofeed. It didn’t matter that he was in the middle of giving orders, some things were more important. 

Snoke centred himself and flung his awareness into the void of dark side power. Ben’s mental barriers were holding tightly against the Force, even as his emotions swirled violently. The dark side wrapped around him, looking for a way to pull him apart, but these days Ben was too proficient to be so easily seduced to destruction by the dark side. 

Snoke tried to offer advice and lessons whenever Ben was present in the void, though it didn’t happen often. Not only was it difficult and taxing for Ben to reach out so deeply, he was oddly resistant to anything that resembled instruction. Resentment and frustration bubbled up from his mental presence whenever Snoke tried to structure his advice like a lesson. Still, such things fed Ben’s emotions, so Snoke never tried to push further.

 _What’s happened? Tell me!_ Snoke demanded, his worry sharpening his tone.

Pain and truly deep hate welled up from Ben. _I killed them!_ he screamed into the void. _I slaughtered every last one of Master Skywalker’s students!_

Snoke reeled back. The power it must have taken, the depth of Ben’s dark emotions – all of it spoke of a staggering degree of talent. _You’re in pain,_ Snoke noted, keeping his emotions close and focused.

 _Yes._ Ben’s mental voice was a hiss in the darkness. _I’m wounded, the others who follow me, it wasn’t enough. Skywalker came at me. Only at me, he knew. Then he escaped. He escaped!_ Ben’s voice wasn’t stable and his outline started to waver. That hadn’t happened in years.

 _Focus, Ben. You’re slipping,_ Snoke advised. He wasn’t prepared for the psychic backlash his comment generated. 

_No! Don’t, don’t call me that! I can’t, I didn’t want, all the bodies, all the death, my followers, the students, I shouldn’t, I couldn’t. Why did he fear me? Why did he stop me at every turn? Tried to control me! Tried to deny my destiny!_

For the first time in years, Snoke wrapped his power around Ben, trying to hold the wavering barriers stable against the onslaught of the dark side. _Enough! Remember where you are. If you let your guard down here you could be destroyed,_ Snoke said.

Ben tightened his grip on his will with a palpable effort. He still wavered, but his barrier was strong enough to hold. Snoke stayed close, not wanting to risk it.

 _I have nowhere to go._ The words were so quiet that they almost didn’t register. Strange emotions twisted through Snoke as he sensed the pain behind Ben’s confession.

 _Nonsense. You will come to me. Bring your followers. I can offer you all sanctuary,_ Snoke said.

For once his proclamation wasn’t met with resentment or suspicion. Perhaps Ben was too drained by his recent experience.

_Thank you._

Snoke gave Ben the relevant coordinates and only withdrew his attention after Ben’s presence had left the depths of the Force-void. He sat back on his throne as awareness returned to his body. Ben’s arrival could take a long time and he had his own preparations to make with the First Order.

///

When Ben and his followers arrived, there were people to greet them and show them to facilities for washing, eating, and sleeping. The followers gratefully partook, as their trip had been aboard a cramped freighter that was really only designed to ship five, rather than the full seven of them. Ben didn’t join them. He went straight to Snoke.

The Force was enough to guide him to the throne room. Snoke was oddly touched that Ben prioritised their meeting, despite carrying the marks of food rationing and too much time spent in close quarters. When Ben arrived he and Snoke scrutinised each other with similar levels of interest. Ben was a human. He was small, with skin carrying the warmth of ectothermic circulation, and a mop of dark hair, common to many mammalian species. Even though he didn’t appear distressed, his emotions rolled under the surface of his thoughts, strong enough to pervade the whole room.

Snoke wondered what Ben thought of him. Snoke noted the way Ben’s contrasting dark-and-light eyes flicked over his body, noting the scars, the size, and the cast of Snoke’s skin. After a moment of mutual study, Ben knelt on the floor of the throne room. A complex welter of emotions rose and fell in Snoke. He’d wanted an apprentice ever since he’d discovered the practice from Sith holocrons, but The Rule of Two, the bitter enmity between master and apprentice had never appealed to him.

‘Rise. You should stand before me during our first physical meeting.’

Ben got to his feet, uncertain, and trying very hard not to show it. ‘I. Thank you. Are you a Sith?’

Snoke leaned forward. They’d never really discussed matters other than the Force. There hadn’t been time for more than the most basic introductions while floating in the void. ‘No. I do not follow their philosophies. There is too much self-destruction and pain in their teachings.’

Ben nodded slowly. ‘My grandfather was a Sith. The greatest of the Sith.’

‘That explains much,’ said Snoke. Ben flushed and Snoke wondered what it signified. ‘I never took a name beside my own. For a title the First Order calls me the Supreme Leader.’ Snoke paused. ‘What should I call you?’

Ben flinched, a clear sign of discomfort. ‘I don’t know. I don’t… not the name I gave you once. It doesn’t fit me anymore.’ The flare of rage was dulled with other emotions. There was something like shame in Ben, but also defiance. Such a deep well of power in such a small being.

‘Perhaps you would like a name from me? There are some things in the Sith tradition that are worthwhile, I believe.’

The look on Ben’s face was difficult for Snoke to read, but the tide of emotions pressing against his awareness were full of hope and gratitude. ‘I’d like that,’ Ben said simply.

Snoke’s head tilted forward as he thought. He couldn’t give Ben a Sith name, not with the connotations it carried in their philosophy. However, some of the dark holocrons he’d found over the years spoke of more than just the path of the Sith. There were other dark orders with their own traditions and values. Despite the reputation of the dark side, some even managed a level of cohesion and group cooperation. 

‘There is a particular Order that might serve our purpose. They were ancient and dark, with power to rival the Sith in their own time.’

Ben was watching him steadily as he spoke and something hungry glinted in those dark-on-light eyes. ‘Who were they?’ he asked.

‘The Knights of Ren. They were led by a single figure who commanded from the front line of combat. Each member was bound by loyalty and a dedication to the dark side. You could lead the followers you have gathered as the first Master of Ren in ten thousand years.’

‘I’d like that. I know a little of the ways of the Sith, but I wouldn’t want to lose my followers to the Rule of Two. They helped me… like you did.’ Ben ducked his head as he said the last bit. 

‘The first leader of their Order was Kylo Ren, the first and greatest of the Knights. I think it would be appropriate for you to reclaim the mantle.’

Ben nodded thoughtfully. ‘Kylo Ren.’ He said the name slowly, tasting the unfamiliar syllables. ‘Yes,’ he said more forcefully, ‘my name is Kylo Ren.’ Something shifted in the currents of the Force. Snoke wasn’t quite fast enough to determine if the change originated from Kylo or from something in the dark side itself.

‘Kylo. My apprentice.’ Snoke hesitated the briefest touch over his pronouncement, but Kylo seemed pleased by it. 

‘Yes… my master,’ Kylo intoned, his quiet voice solemn. He paused. ‘The First Order is you, isn’t it?’

His apprentice was fast. Snoke tilted his head in affirmation. ‘Yes. They serve my will in the galaxy. As you may, if you like.’

‘Yes,’ Kylo was so certain as he spoke. ‘Tell me your plans. I want to know everything you’re working toward.’

Snoke smiled. ‘I will tell you, and more besides. But you are almost swaying on your feet. You were wounded. Do you require more medical attention?’

Kylo stood up straighter. ‘I’m fine.’

‘Very well. Then go now, eat, sleep. You must maintain the strength of your body if you wish to maintain your strength in the Force.’

Kylo bowed. ‘Yes, my master.’ A smile played across his lips as he spoke. Though anger, hate and pain were never too far from the surface of Kylo’s mind, Snoke could feel a languid happiness too. It was the first time he’d felt such a thing in Kylo’s mind since their meeting in the Force, all those years ago.

Snoke returned the smile and waved him off. ‘Good, my apprentice.’

///

‘A thorough report, general. You may go,’ said Snoke. 

The general snapped off a perfect salute and turned to go. Snoke noted that Kylo turned to watch him leave as well. 

‘You seem to hate him quite a lot,’ Snoke noted. He tilted his head and emphasised his intonation on the word ‘hate’, to make sure his meaning was clear. It was a decent match. His apprentice and the general were often at each other’s throats and didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by one another. A pity the general was Force-null, otherwise it would have been perfect.

‘It doesn’t interfere with our command,’ Kylo said.

Snoke waved a hand. ‘I wouldn’t expect it to. You’re both capable of keeping the personal separate from the mission.’

‘Well _I_ am,’ Kylo said. 

Snoke tilted his head. There was more irritation in his tone than hate. Perhaps Kylo was a bit young for more intimate hatred? Snoke wasn’t entirely clear on how mammalian species aged anyway. 

‘You wished to tell me in more detail about your mission,’ Snoke prompted instead. If a relationship did arise he would make a note to have a quiet discussion with the general. Even the uninitiated should be taught the extent of Snoke’s power in the dark side, lest they try to take advantage of his apprentice’s… inexperience in such matters.

Kylo’s demeanour immediately sharpened. He took off his helmet and held it under one arm. ‘Yes I did. We didn’t lose a single soldier on the raid and I used that new technique you showed me. It was a matter of freezing the joints, rather than the whole body. It’s so much easier to hold someone that way.’

‘You managed to take a prisoner, then?’ Snoke asked.

Kylo nodded. ‘I managed to bring two of them in alive.’ He smirked. ‘Well, mostly alive.’

‘Will you be trying the mental techniques you’ve been practicing?’ Snoke asked.

‘Yes, master. That’s why I brought in two. I’m still having trouble with going in too far. It breaks them to the point of uselessness.’

‘Considering your levels of raw power, it’s unsurprising.’ Kylo flushed at the praise. Snoke was beginning to recognise that the response signified pride.

‘Yes, well. I also burned the body of their leader. I kept the ashes.’

Light years away, Snoke’s gaze drifted to the side of his throne room where the ashes of Kylo Ren’s first kill were displayed on their plinth. He remembered Kylo bringing them to him and proclaiming their significance as a symbol of his new identity. Snoke had been surprised when Kylo had shyly offered them to him, but he treasured the gift.

‘A trophy,’ Snoke surmised.

‘A reminder.’

Snoke inclined his head. ‘Your progress marches on at a rapid pace. I suspect that one day you will outstrip even me.’

Kylo looked down. ‘That won’t change anything, you know.’

‘I know. I can’t imagine being any prouder of your work than I am right now.’

Kylo nodded without looking up. Snoke could feel the faintest edge of Kylo’s emotions, even over the great distance. ‘Thank you, my master.’


End file.
